Two Different Animals, One Close Bond
by HeroxPartnerfan96
Summary: A plan to help Julien backfires when Maurice ends up falling for Marlene. Can they reveal their love despite the risks? Marlice
1. Where it Begins

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**(This is my first Penguins of Madagascar production. This was inspired by Unexpected Bonds, a story by SkullDestroyer. Keep in mind, I am also a fan of Julene but I thought it great to try something new. I also do not claim ownership of the characters in this story.**

**Chapter 1: Where It Begins**

It was a starry night at Central Park Zoo and throughout, all the animals were resting after the day's events. One particular place was the lemur habitat. There, Maurice was asleep in his hammock; this was very comforting for him. But then, much to his surprise he could hear something nearby. Slowly opening his eyes, Maurice lifted his head up.

"What's that?" Maurice asked himself. Getting out of his hammock, he decided to see what it was. As he looked around, he could hear that it was coming from the jumping castle. "Who could that be?" Maurice wondered as he headed over there. As he looked from nearby, he could see that it was Julien sitting on the jumping castle. What surprised Maurice most was that Julien had his face in his hands and was sobbing.

"What's going on this time?" Maurice asked, confused. His question was answered when Julien lifted his head up to look at the starry night sky. "I don't understand. How come she isn't able to see it? Why won't she understand what I see in her?" Julien asked, clearly upset and in distress.

Maurice could figure out what Julien was talking about; he was thinking about Marlene. Ever since the first time Marlene went outside the zoo and was infatuated with Julien, he had started to pull out the stops to make sure that Marlene saw the real him. Marlene however wasn't able to understand and this had started to leave Julien in despair and not knowing what to do.

Listening to this, Maurice started to have an idea. He figured that if he started spending time with Marlene himself, he could get to know Marlene and use that knowledge to help Julien get closer to Marlene. He smiled, figuring that out. And he had the best way to get this fully operational, but he knew that there could be consequences for this.

"It might not be good, but I know this is going to work." Maurice said to himself. With that, he looked up and raised his voice so Julien could hear it, but at the same time didn't know who it really was.

"Don't give up, Julien." Maurice whispered, making sure Julien didn't hear him. This caught Julien by surprise and he looked up, feeling confused and surprised. "Is that you, Sky Spirits?" Julien asked with uncertainty.

"Yes. Your efforts won't go to waste, because Marlene will soon realize how much you mean to her." Maurice continued from his hiding place. Maurice had to be fortunate; he had practised this for a while in case he needed it for something serious.

"You think so?" Julien asked, wondering if what he was hearing was true. Maurice smiled; this was his chance now. He knew he had to make this work. "We know, Julien. You won't be alone anymore soon; Marlene will see that you are the one for her." Maurice continued. He was half-expecting this to backfire, but to his surprise Julien smiled.

"I know how difficult Marlene can be sometimes, but I won't question you. Thank you; I am so glad to know that you are always there." Julien explained. Maurice smiled, hearing this response from Julien.

"Wow, that went a lot better that I expected it to. Now I can really get down to business." Maurice said. With that, he headed off leaving Julien by himself. But Maurice was unaware of where this plan would head; somewhere he didn't expect it to.


	2. First Chance to Socialise

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**Chapter 2: First Chance to Socialise **

That morning, Maurice was relaxing in his hammock. That was when he noticed that there was something unusual going on; he looked up to see Julien sitting nearby, looking surprisingly happy.

"I better check that he's all right." Maurice said to himself. He got out of his hammock and headed over to where Julien was. When Julien turned to see Maurice, he brightly smiled. "Hello, Maurice. Did you sleep well last night?" Julien asked, brightly. Maurice was confused, but nonetheless decided to answer that.

"Yes, I did. But I could hear something going on. What was that about?" Maurice asked, pretending not to know what had happened. Hearing that, Julien stood up. "You won't believe what happened last night, Maurice. You know how I have been wanting to tell Marlene about my feelings, but it never turned out well?" Julien asked.

"Yes." Maurice responded, doing his best to restrain his irritation. "Well last night, I felt in such despair from knowing that Marlene wouldn't understand how I felt about her. But then unexpectedly, the Sky Spirits spoke to me!" Julien smiled.

Maurice was surprised; that meant that Julien bought his act. He thought it best to go alone with this, mostly because he didn't want Julien to get suspicious already. "Really? What'd they say?" he asked, doing a surprisingly good job at sounding convincing. Julien smiled, catching on with Maurice's interest. He was however unaware of what was really going on.

"They said I wouldn't have to feel alone anymore soon; that Marlene would soon realize what I meant to her. Doesn't that sound amazing, Maurice?" Julien asked. Maurice could tell that this was working already, so he decided to keep this going. "That does sound impressive. I hope that's true; I wouldn't want to think of what would happen to you if it wasn't." Maurice explained. Julien shivered at that thought.

"I wouldn't want to either." Julien responded. "If I knew better, I wouldn't want to interrupt while you're in a good mood, would I?" Maurice asked. Julien smiled, hearing that common sense.

"I like the sound of that, Maurice. It sometimes impresses me, how well you know your king." Julien commented. "I guess I know you better than you expect." Maurice responded, and he headed away leaving Julien by himself. Once he was alone, Maurice smiled amazed.

"I can't believe how well this is going. I better get a move on." Maurice said to himself, and he headed out towards the Otter Habitat; it was time to really get down to business. There, Marlene was relaxing for a little. She always enjoyed whenever she could have some time to herself. She decided to head outside for a little.

"This is more like it." Marlene said to herself as she looked around. Maurice could see her from where he was, at the top of the slide. "There she is." Maurice smiled. Now it was time for him to really get serious. "Hey, Marlene!" he called. Surprised, Marlene turned around and looked up to see Maurice at the top of the slide.

"Maurice?" Marlene asked, confused. Maurice headed down the slide and jumped off near the bottom, landing nearly in front of Marlene. "What are you doing here?" Marlene asked, confused.

"I thought I'd come visit and see how you were doing today." Maurice explained. Marlene was surprised by that. "I find that to be unusual because you normally don't ever get the chance to visit." Marlene explained; she was aware of the fact that Maurice was normally busy, so this came as quite a surprise to her.

"Yeah, that's true." Maurice responded, nodding in agreement. Then he realized he should continue. "But Julien was in a surprisingly good mood today, so I thought it best not to interrupt." Maurice added. Marlene could figure that out.

"I don't need to ask, do I?" she asked. "No, you don't." Maurice responded, shaking his head. Marlene smiled at this; she knew that a lot of things with Julien were very self-explanatory. "That's how he is, isn't it?" she asked. Maurice nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it is." Maurice smiled. Marlene was surprised; it wasn't that often that she got to see Maurice, yet she was finding it hard to understand how she could have an easy conversation with him. It was like he was the only one that made sense besides herself.

"Would you like to go for a walk with me, Marlene?" Maurice asked. Marlene smiled. "Okay, that sounds great." Marlene responded. With that, the two headed out of the habitat. A little later on, the two were both walking through the zoo looking around. After a bit of silence, Marlene turned to Maurice.

"Could I ask you something, Maurice?" Marlene asked. Maurice looked back at Marlene and responded "Sure. What is it?" Marlene had a bit of thought of herself before continuing. "It's something personal about Julien. If he thinks of himself as king, why is he always alone?" Marlene asked. Maurice could figure out what she was talking about; he knew exactly what she meant.

"Well back at Madagascar, he had a really amazing wife. Her name was Julia. She wasn't any royalty, but Julien chose her as his queen because he wanted to make her happy after she broke up with her previous boyfriend." Maurice explained. Marlene was surprised; she had to wonder what happened as to leave Julien by himself.

"Things were great for quite a few years, but one day when he and Julia went to look out over the island, Julia was killed by a plane that had crash-landed." Maurice continued. Marlene was shocked; she couldn't believe she had just heard this.

"Julien was devastated; Julia was really the one that mattered to him. He felt like he couldn't live with it; he felt like it was his fault because he wasn't there for Julia when she needed him most." Maurice explained. After saying that, the memory came back to him and he couldn't contain himself any longer.

Marlene could clearly see that Maurice was upset, and she looked over at him. "Maurice, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what that must feel like, to lose someone that matters so much to you and then feeling like you can't continue after that But that doesn't mean I don't understand." Marlene explained. Maurice looked up at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. "I went through a bit of a bad experience myself back at my old home. My parents died when I was very young; I didn't know much about them when that happened. It was so frightening for me, living by myself without anyone to really care for me." Marlene explained. Maurice was alarmed; he couldn't believe that Marlene had been through such an experience like that. He just couldn't imagine it in the least.

"Marlene, that's terrible. I can't imagine being by myself either. You're lucky to be here, you know." Maurice said. "Really?" Marlene asked, surprised. Maurice nodded, showing that he was being serious. Marlene smiled at this.

"Thanks, Maurice. It makes me happy to know that there is someone I can relate to somehow." Marlene smiled. "Me too, Marlene." Maurice responded in agreement. What Maurice didn't know was that things were getting way out of his plan; that it was starting to become different.

He looked up to see Julien still at the Lemur Habitat. "It looks like he's going to be like that for a while." Maurice commented. "Well while you're waiting for him to calm down a bit, would you like to stay at my place for the night?" Marlene asked.

"Yeah, that would be great." Maurice responded. Marlene smiled at this response. It looked like things were going in a different direction from how Maurice imagined it.


	3. Coming Over For The Night

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**Chapter 3: Coming over for the Night**

That night, Maurice had just finished getting all his things. He looked up to see that Julien was asleep to his relief and so was Mort. "I wouldn't want them to find out where I've been." Maurice said to himself. Making sure they didn't hear him, he headed out of the Lemur Habitat and was off straight away to Marlene's place.

There, Marlene was waiting for him. "I'm sure he can't be taking too long." Marlene said to herself. She looked over at the entrance and smiled when she saw Maurice. "There you are, Maurice. I was wondering why you were taking so long." Marlene explained as Maurice came inside.

"Sorry, Marlene. I had to make sure that Julien didn't see me." Maurice explained. Marlene crossed her arms and smiled. "Didn't want him to get suspicious, huh?" she asked. Maurice nodded in agreement, which Marlene found very understandable. "That's him, all right." Maurice commented.

"Did you get everything?" Marlene asked. "Yes, I did. I wanted to make sure I didn't leave anything behind." Maurice explained. Marlene had to admit, she had no idea that Maurice was so organized. It was refreshing for her when compared to her past experiences having roommates stay with her.

"Have you had roommates over before, Marlene?" Maurice asked. "Yeah, but they haven't really gone too well. You heard about Rhonda, didn't you?" Marlene asked. Maurice nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I did. Skipper told me all about it." Maurice explained. Rhonda was a roommate that Marlene had stay with her earlier on. However, it became clear that Rhonda was not a suitable roommate.

And for good reason, Rhonda was not someone that used manners. On top of her rude and obnoxious behaviour, she also insulted Marlene by calling her 'Rat-face' when as a matter of fact, Marlene was quite the opposite of that.

Maurice watched as Marlene sat down nearby, looking very upset. Confused, Maurice came over and sat down next to her. "What's wrong, Marlene?" he asked, concerned. Marlene looked up at him and sighed.

"Maurice, I haven't been able to tell anyone before. But even though I normally show that I'm okay with my social life and I don't show any interest in boys, that's actually not true." Marlene explained. Maurice was surprised; he didn't expect to hear that Marlene really had a sensitive side to her but was never able to show it.

"You mean, you don't let the rest see the real you? Why not?" Maurice asked, alarmed. Marlene felt upset, but nonetheless decided to explain why she always did this. "It's because I don't want to make myself look like I don't matter to anyone. I don't want anyone to think that I'm not who they think I am; I never want to feel like I'm nobody to them." Marlene explained. Maurice could understand; he had been through that experience once before and didn't enjoy it. But he didn't see any reason as to why Marlene would think something like that; it just didn't seem like her.

"Marlene, if that were ever to happen to you, I think you would still matter to someone who thinks of you as the one person they live for. That someone would do anything to make you happy, because it makes them happy in return." Maurice explained. Marlene was amazed; she had no idea that Maurice was so familiar with all of this that she thought he wouldn't be able to understand.

"Do you really mean that, Maurice?" she asked, wordless. Maurice looked over at Marlene. "If there's something I know about this, it's that to the world you may be one person, but to one person you're the world." Maurice explained in response to Marlene's question.

Marlene smiled; she was so amazed by how much Maurice really knew. She had to wonder why she didn't see him before; it was actually so amazing to listen to what he had to say, because it made her feel incredible inside even though she didn't know why.

"Thanks, Maurice. I'm glad to know that you understand; it makes me feel happy to know that there's one person I can turn to. And it's also relieving to know that they understand." Marlene said. Maurice smiled; he was really happy to see that Marlene was a lot happier now. He wasn't sure why, but there was nothing he liked more than knowing that Marlene was happy.

"I think we should get some sleep now." Maurice said. "Yeah, good idea. I could use some rest after today." Marlene agreed. With that, she turned the lamp that was near her bed off. They were both unaware of how difficult things were going to get soon, but it was going to result in a change for the better for them.


	4. Start of a Bond

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**Chapter 4: Start of a Bond**

That morning, Maurice looked to make sure Marlene was still asleep. When he saw that she was, he smiled. He headed outside and looked out to see where the lemur habitat was. Maurice was starting to get concerned of what Julien was thinking during this.

"I hope he doesn't know I've been away for this long." Maurice said to himself. But then he received a shock when he heard Marlene behind him. "Hey, Maurice." Marlene smiled. Maurice turned around and smiled when he saw Marlene.

"Morning, Marlene. Did you sleep well?" Maurice asked. "Yes." Marlene responded. But then she noticed that Maurice was looking out at where the lemur habitat was. "What's wrong, Maurice?" Marlene asked, concerned. Maurice looked over at her.

"I'm starting to wonder, Marlene. Do you think Julien knows where I am?" Maurice asked. "What do you mean?" Marlene asked, confused. "Well, I have been away for quite a while. I'm starting to wonder if Julien is wondering where I've been." Maurice explained. Marlene smiled, understanding.

"Don't worry, Maurice. Knowing Julien, I don't think that it would be that much of a deal to him." Marlene explained. Maurice wasn't sure why, but he somehow thought Marlene was right. "Yeah, you're right. He really doesn't worry about much; that's what he does. Besides, I'm sure he won't mind that much." Maurice commented. Marlene had an idea and she smiled, knowing Maurice would like this.

"Maurice, why don't we get some snow cones?" Marlene asked. Maurice smiled, hearing that suggestion. "That sounds great." Maurice smiled, but that was when he remembered what Julien told him about when Marlene headed outside the zoo for the first time.

"But there's one problem, though." Maurice added. Marlene sighed, knowing what Maurice was talking about. "Yeah, that's right. I can't go outside the zoo." Marlene said, catching on. Maurice didn't want Marlene to be upset, so he had an idea.

"Why don't you wait for me, and I'll get them myself?" Maurice suggested. Marlene was surprised by this. "You don't need to do that, Maurice." Marlene said. Maurice however smiled; he thought otherwise.

"I know, but... I guess I want to. I don't know why, but I just feel that way." Maurice explained. Marlene was surprised; she had to wonder what Maurice meant by this. But she figured that he was trying to make her happy, and that somehow was what she wanted most.

"Thanks, Maurice." Marlene smiled. Maurice smiled at this response; he was so glad to know that Marlene liked this. "You're welcome, Marlene." Maurice responded, and he headed off. Marlene had to wonder something; since Maurice came over, she found herself taking a liking to him. But what confused her about it was that why this was happening and how it would work. She knew that they were different, and she had been through past experiences that didn't go so well.

But there was something... different about this time around. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like Maurice wouldn't do what others did to her in the past. It didn't seem like he would do that to her. In fact, it seemed he would do whatever it took to make her happy.

'_I don't know why, but I just feel like Maurice would never let anything bad happen to me. It's almost as if... he himself isn't able to realize what good he's actually doing for me.' _Marlene said to herself. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Maurice next to her. "Marlene, I'm back." Maurice said.

"I didn't notice you were gone, Maurice." Marlene explained. But then, she looked to see that he had the snow cones and smiled. "Thank you." Marlene smiled as she took her snow cone. Maurice smiled, knowing that Marlene was happy with this.

The two both sat on a park bench nearby. "You know, Maurice. I haven't had this much of a good time for quite a while now. It feels amazing, just spending time with you." Marlene explained. Maurice smiled as he listened on to her. He felt happy spending time with her as well.

"I know. I haven't felt this way before either." Maurice responded. He looked up to see the sunset in the sky. "I didn't have any idea that the time went by this time." Maurice commented, surprised. Marlene looked with him to see that he was right. "Yeah, I didn't notice either." Marlene agreed. They figured it was time for them to head back to Marlene's place.

"Why don't you wait for me there, Marlene? I need to get something." Maurice said. "Really? What is it?" Marlene asked, surprised. Maurice smiled noticing Marlene's curiosity.

"I'll show you when I get back. See you then." Maurice responded, and started to head back to the Lemur Habitat. Marlene smiled at the thought of Maurice having something to show her. "I bet it's going to be great." Marlene said.

Meanwhile, Maurice arrived back at the Lemur Habitat. He smiled when he saw what he needed. "I'm sure Marlene will love this." Maurice said to himself. He immediately headed back with Marlene's place, knowing that he had what he needed. 


	5. Falling in Love

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**Chapter 5: Falling in Love**

That night, Marlene was waiting for Maurice. She was starting to wonder what was taking him so long when she saw him standing at the entrance. What she noticed was that he had one hand behind his back.

"Hey, Marlene." Maurice smiled. Marlene watched as he came inside and sat down nearby. "I was wondering why you were taking so long, Maurice." Marlene explained. Maurice smiled, knowing what she was talking about.

"Yeah, sorry for making you wait. I had to make sure that no-one knew where I was going." Maurice explained. Marlene nodded in understanding; she knew who Maurice meant the most. She didn't want to make anyone suspicious, just like Maurice.

"So, what did you want to show me?" Marlene asked as Maurice sat down next to her. "This is very special, Marlene. I had saved it ever since I was at Madagascar and wanted to show someone special." Maurice explained, and he pulled out his other hand from behind his back to show something Marlene didn't expect.

"A Spanish guitar?" Marlene asked, amazed. She hadn't met anyone so far who had one of those, but she didn't expect that Maurice would have one. "Yeah. I got this when I was young, and decided that I'd wait until I met someone that I knew would love it." Maurice explained. Marlene beamed at this; this was unlike anything she had seen before.

"Maurice, this is amazing. I never expected this." Marlene said. Maurice smiled as he added "Then I'm sure you didn't expect this." With this, he started playing. Marlene was wordless as she listened; it was one of the beautiful things she had ever heard. She had no idea that Maurice knew how to play a Spanish guitar, but she was just amazed from finding out for herself.

Maurice felt so lucky that he took lessons in playing a Spanish guitar, because it really seemed like it was paying off. He could see that Marlene liked this. As he continued, he started to sing.

_When the visions around you_

_Bring tears to your eyes_

_And all that surround you_

_Are secrets and lies_

_I'll be your strength_

_I'll give you hope_

_Keeping your faith when it's gone_

_The one you should call_

_Was standing here all along_

Marlene was amazed; she had no idea that Maurice was such a wonderful singer. It sounded incredible for her to hear this. But she didn't know the best was yet to come.

_And I will take you in my arms_

_And hold you right where you belong_

_Till the day my life is through_

_This I promise you_

_This I promise you_

Maurice felt so fortunate that he took singing lessons when he was young; he didn't want to think about what could have happened. He could see that Marlene was happy; it was what he wanted.

_I have loved you forever_

_In lifetimes before_

_And I promise you never_

_Will you hurt anymore_

_I give you my word_

_I give you my heart_

_This is a battle we've won_

_And with this vow_

_Forever has now begun_

_Just close your eyes_

_Each loving day_

_And know this feeling won't go away_

_Till the day my life is through_

_This I promise you_

_This I promise you_

When he finished, Maurice put his guitar down to see what Marlene thought. He was surprised when he saw that she was smiling and tears were welling in her eyes.

"That was amazing, Maurice. I loved it so much." Marlene smiled. Maurice was surprised by this response, but then he smiled. "I'm happy to know you liked it, Marlene." Maurice said. Before he could continue, he was caught off guard when Marlene came over and kissed him. He was shocked at first, but then felt really happy. There was never a more amazing feeling in the world for him than knowing that Marlene was happy, like he was now.


	6. Fears and Comfort

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**Chapter 6: Fears and Comfort**

That morning, Maurice looked out at where the Lemur Habitat was. He had to wonder if Julien had any idea of what was going on; he had that thought running through his head the entire night. In fact, he found himself not able to sleep through most of the night.

"Maurice, are you all right?" Marlene asked. Maurice turned around to see her coming over to him. He could see that she looked very concerned; she must have noticed that he looked considerably worried about something.

"Marlene, there's something that bothers me. Do you think Julien has any idea of what's been happening?" Maurice asked. "What do you mean?" Marlene asked, confused. Maurice sighed and looked back up to the outside again.

"Well, I'm sure that he doesn't know that I've been away for a while, and that he doesn't know about what's been happening so far. I just have to wonder what he thinks right now." Maurice explained. Marlene could understand why Maurice was worried; he had known Julien for quite some time and knew what he was like. So there was no wonder why Maurice would be worried that Julien didn't know where he was.

"Why don't you check how he's doing? It might be a bit of help." Marlene said. Maurice however shook his head to her surprise. "I don't know, Marlene. He might figure out what's been happening, and things won't turn out well if that happens. I might not be able to see you again." Maurice explained, worry showing in his voice.

Marlene was confused at first by why that was, but then she understood what Maurice was talking about. Since Julien believed that he was the one for her, he would feel betrayed and things wouldn't be so good. She didn't want that to happen, but she knew that Maurice couldn't be away for too long.

"Maurice, I'm sure Julien would just be happy for you to come see him again. I don't think he would know about what's been happening so far; I'm sure he wouldn't have any idea about it." Marlene explained. Maurice had a bit of thought to himself, and then figured that maybe Marlene was right. He knew Julien very well, so he was sure that there wasn't any way that Julien could know about what was happening between him and Marlene right now.

"You're right, Marlene. I'm sure things will be all right. Besides, how could Julien know about what happened last night?" Maurice asked, smiling almost immediately. "Well, I can think of only one way. He had to have been there, and I didn't see him the entire time." Marlene smiled.

Maurice couldn't help but laugh; it was true that Marlene would say something like that. With that, he headed off to see Julien. But he was unaware of the fact that Marlene would be more right than he expected her to be, and that this would be something that could go wrong. 


	7. Despair forms a New Plan

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**Chapter 7: Despair forms a New Plan**

Maurice came inside the Lemur Habitat, having not taken too long to come. He wanted to see Julien as it had been a while. "Is someone here? I'm sorry I've been away for a while. It's just that things have gotten busy, so I wasn't able to be here." Maurice explained.

He was caught by surprise when he could hear something nearby. "What is that?" Maurice asked. He went to see what it was and looked nearby to see Julien. He was sitting against his throne with his head buried in his arms, sobbing. Maurice was confused, but alarmed at the same time by this.

"What could have happened while I was gone?" Maurice asked himself. He headed over, making sure that Julien didn't see him, and sat down next to him. "Hey, are you all right? What's wrong?" Maurice asked, concerned. Julien looked up at Maurice and it was evident that there were tears in Julien's eyes. Maurice was surprised, as he knew that Julien was not normally ever upset.

"Maurice, you won't believe what I saw last night." Julien said, clearly upset. Maurice was alarmed; it sounded like Julien had been through an experience he couldn't forget. "What happened?" Maurice asked, hoping to try and help Julien out.

Julien calmed himself down a bit before turning to Maurice so he could tell him what happened. "Well, last night, I decided to go see Marlene so I could tell her how I felt about her." Julien said. Maurice smiled, happy that Julien decided to do that at last.

"When I came to her place, I saw something I didn't want to see. Someone else was with her; she was happy with him." Julien continued. Maurice was shocked; that meant that Julien must have seen him with Marlene. Although he was afraid of what would happen, he still decided to hear Julien out first. "What happened?" Maurice asked.

"He was playing a Spanish guitar and she was really happy to hear him. And when he finished... Marlene kissed him." Julien finished, unable to contain his sadness any longer. Maurice looked at Julien in alarm as Julien broke down again.

"That's awful. How could Marlene do that to you?" Maurice asked, deciding to go along with this. Julien looked over at Maurice. "I know; I can't answer that either. How am I supposed to get to Marlene if this man is in the way?" Julien asked, in despair again.

Maurice knew that things were starting to get difficult, especially Julien was aware of the fact that someone else was with Marlene. But then, Maurice had an idea that he knew could get him out of trouble and ensure that Julien remained happy.

"I think I have an idea. Why don't you have a party tonight? Everyone can come and Marlene will be there. And I'll make sure that whoever it is that was with her last night won't be there." Maurice explained. Julien looked at Maurice in surprise.

"You really think it will work, Maurice?" he asked. "It's never too late to make a difference." Maurice responded. Smiling at last, Julien immediately came forward and hugged Maurice, much to his surprise. "Thank you, Maurice. I know that I can count on you whenever things get hard." Julien smiled, his worry replaced with relief and joy.

Maurice smiled, knowing that Julien was happy and returned his embrace. "I'm always glad to be there to help." Maurice responded. With that, he let go of Julien. "Why don't you start getting everything ready? I'm going to go figure out who will be coming." Maurice said. Julien smiled at this suggestion and Maurice immediately headed off. Once he was a safe distance from Julien, Maurice suddenly became worried.

"What am I doing? I'm the one that Marlene was with last night, and if Julien finds that out, I'll be in big trouble!" Maurice said to himself. But that was when he came up with something. "Unless... I can find someone else to come with me. It's perfect!" Maurice smiled, knowing what he was going to do.

He didn't take long to get to where he needed to go, which was the baboon enclosure. Maurice smiled when he saw Darla nearby. "There she is." Maurice said to himself. Without hesitation, he jumped over the wall and landed inside the enclosure, and proceeded to head over to Darla.

"Excuse me, Darla?" Maurice asked. Darla turned around and smiled when she saw Maurice. "Well hello there, Maurice. What brings you here?" Darla asked. Maurice felt a bit nervous, but decided to go forward with this.

"Well, we're having a party tonight over at the Lemur enclosure and I was wondering... if you'd like to come with me." Maurice explained. Darla smiled when she heard this. "Aren't you just sweet? I would love to." Darla said. Maurice smiled, hearing this. "I just need to tell this to Marlene." Maurice said to himself.

"What? You're going with Darla?" Marlene asked, shocked by what Maurice just told her. "I have to, Marlene. I don't have a choice. And well, this may a bit hard to say but... could you pretend to be in love with Julien during the night?" Maurice asked, even though he was afraid of what Marlene would say.

"What? Why should I do that?" Marlene asked, confused and reluctant. "Because, Marlene, if Julien finds out about us, he'll be furious. And I might not be able to see you ever again. Won't you please do this so our cover isn't blown?" Maurice asked, becoming desperate. Marlene looked at Maurice; she didn't really like Julien's efforts to impress her, but she could see that this was serious.

Sighing, Marlene responded "All right, Maurice. I will do this for you, but you owe me afterwards." Hearing that, Maurice smiled and immediately hugged Marlene. "Thank you so much, Marlene." Maurice said.

Surprised at first, Marlene smiled knowing she was making the right choice by choosing to cooperate with Maurice's idea. Maurice felt so glad to have Marlene's help, but now he was hoping that his plan would work how he wanted it to.


	8. Party Night

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**Chapter 8: Party Night**

That night, Maurice and Marlene both looked out to see where the party was taking place. "Are you sure this will work, Maurice?" Marlene asked, concerned. "Trust me, Marlene. As long as you play your part right, this will be flawless." Maurice explained. He then looked over at Darla who was next to him.

"Are you ready, Darla?" he asked. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Darla responded with a smile. "Good. Let's go." Maurice responded. With this, the three headed out of their hiding place ready to go with their plan. Julien was checking off who was there when he saw Maurice coming over with Darla.

"Oh, I see you have a date of your own, Maurice." Julien smiled, noticing this. "Yeah, I do. It wasn't easy, but I was able to find someone." Maurice explained. With this, he and Darla both went inside. As Julien watched them on, he received a big surprise when he saw Marlene coming over.

"Well! I can see you're by yourself, Marlene." Julien said. "Yeah, I didn't have someone to come with me. Would you like to escort me in, Julien?" Marlene asked. Julien smiled, hearing this. He saw this as his chance to get Marlene to understand his feelings. "Certainly, Marlene." Julien smiled. With this, the two went inside. Marlene looked over at Maurice who was nearby and he gave her a thumbs up, which meant that things were going well so far.

Marlene looked around, impressed. "Wow, you really outdid yourself this time around, Julien." Marlene commented. Julien smiled at this compliment. "Well, I wanted it to be special tonight." Julien said. Marlene liked this so far, but she had to wonder how long this was going to go for. "I wonder how Maurice is doing." Marlene said to herself, as she wasn't sure of where he was.

Nearby, Maurice and Darla were getting themselves something to eat. "How long do we need to do this, Maurice?" Darla asked, confused. "We need to keep this up until the party is over." Maurice responded. Darla nodded in understanding; she just had to wonder when that would be.

A little later on, it was time to dance. During this, Marlene was keeping her eye on Maurice to make sure nothing went wrong. Julien noticed that Marlene looked distracted and became concerned. "Marlene, are you all right?" Julien asked, getting Marlene's attention. Marlene looked up at Julien, suddenly focused.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Why do you ask?" Marlene asked. "Well, it's just... you look like you're focused on something else. Are you all right?" Julien asked. That was when Marlene decided it was time for her to really get into this.

"It's just that... I haven't had this much of a good time before. I have never had this much fun with you until now." Marlene explained. Julien was caught by surprise hearing this, but then he smiled. "I'm glad to see that you're finally starting to understand, Marlene." Julien said.

"Yeah. I guess I just needed tonight to see how much of a wonderful person you really are, Julien." Marlene said. Julien smiled, delighted by this. Nearby, Maurice could see this and was surprised. "Marlene must really be getting into this." Maurice said to himself. But he decided that this was going well, so he decided to keep it going and continued to dance with Darla.

"Why don't I really show you a good time, Marlene?" Julien asked. With this, he started to twirl Marlene. Surprised by this at first, Marlene then smiled and really started to get into this dancing with Julien.

"It looks like things are really going well, huh Maurice?" Darla asked, watching Julien and Marlene on. "Yeah, Marlene's really into this now." Maurice agreed as he saw Julien and Marlene dancing together.

Later on that night, Julien and Marlene looked at the night sky just with each other. "Marlene, this was such an amazing night, I have never felt so happy knowing that you're with me." Julien said, looking over at her. "Yeah, this plan worked flawlessly." Marlene smiled, unaware of the fact that Julien could hear her.

"What plan, Marlene?" Julien asked, confused. Marlene immediately caught on when she heard this. "What? Oh, this amazing night plan." Marlene responded. Julien smiled at this response; he was happy to hear that Marlene enjoyed herself as well.

"This was so amazing, Julien. I guess I was never able to see that you were the one for me, until now." Marlene said, looking over at Julien. Julien smiled upon hearing this; he never felt happier than he did right now. "I think there's something I've owed you for too long now." Marlene said, smiling.

"What's that?" Julien asked, confused. His question was answered when Marlene came forward and kissed him. Julien was amazed; he never thought he would see this come. When Marlene let him go, Julien was just staring in amazement.

"I'll see you later, handsome." Marlene smiled, and headed back inside leaving Julien by himself. Julien was wordless; he could barely believe what he had just experienced. But then he realized that what he had been told when all this started had come true; Marlene had finally come to see that he was the one for her. He smiled, knowing that things were finally how he wanted them all along.

"I never should have doubted you." Julien whispered as he looked up at the night sky. He could barely believe that when things were going so wrong, they ended up taking a turn for the better and he was where he wanted to be.


	9. Exposed!

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**Chapter 9: Exposed!**

Julien went back inside, extremely happy with the way that things went tonight. He felt so happy; he finally had Marlene with him and he felt like nothing could separate them now. But he was unaware of how wrong he would be a few seconds later.

Inside, Maurice and Darla could see Marlene coming inside. "Hey, Marlene. How did things go with Julien?" Maurice asked, smiling to see her. "It was great. He's the best of moods and our cover hasn't been blown." Marlene responded. Maurice smiled, really happy with the fact that his plan had worked.

While this was going on, Julien came back inside feeling overjoyed when he looked over to see Maurice and Marlene. "Maurice, you're the best." Marlene smiled. With that, she kissed Maurice. Julien noticed from nearby and was shocked. "Oh, no..." Julien gasped, alarmed by what he was seeing.

Maurice immediately noticed that Julien had witnessed this and immediately pushed Marlene back. "You might want to see this, Marlene." Maurice said, pointing behind her. Marlene turned around to see Julien standing there with a look of alarm on his face.

"Julien! I can explain what's going on." Marlene said. But Julien approached her, feeling shocked and betrayed. "How could you do this to me, Marlene? I thought we were meant to be together." Julien said, sadness building up inside him. Marlene backed away, knowing what was coming.

"I'm sorry it ended up like this, Julien." Marlene said. But Maurice could see what damage had been caused. He looked back at Julien to see that his sadness was being replaced by anger... anger towards him. Julien looked at Maurice with pure hatred. "You're the one behind this, aren't you?" Julien asked, pointing at Maurice.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Maurice responded, alarmed by this accusation. "Don't lie to me, Maurice! I know what's going on now; you're the one who's behind this." Julien responded, his anger level building by the second.

Maurice was scared now; he didn't want it to end like this. He was surprised when Marlene stepped in front of him. "Leave Maurice alone, Julien! He hasn't done anything wrong." Marlene explained. "Get away while you can, Marlene." Maurice said, looking up at her. Marlene then looked back at Maurice with a determined look on her face.

"I'm not leaving you, Maurice. I will always be here to protect you." Marlene explained. Maurice smiled, amazed by Marlene's loyalty. Julien could see that this was turning, so he knew he needed to act fast. "It looks like I will need to take care of this myself." Julien said. Acting fast, Maurice got up and stood in front of Marlene.

"Don't you dare try to hurt Marlene!" Maurice warned Julien. Julien stopped in his tracks and looked at Maurice. "And why shouldn't I?" Julien asked. Maurice could tell he wanted an answer, and it had to be the truth. He sighed and looked up at Julien.

"Because... because you're right. I am behind all of this; it was all my own doing." Maurice responded. Julien's expression softened to one of sadness and he looked down at Maurice. "Why, Maurice? Why would you do this?" Julien asked in despair.

Maurice could tell that Julien was devastated; he could see it in his king's eyes. He decided that it was up to him to set things right. "Before you do what you think is right, do you think you might be able to hear me out?" Maurice asked. Julien felt uncertain; he felt alarmed by what he had witnessed. But he could also see that there was a truth that Maurice wanted to confess; it might be able to answer the questions that were running through his head now.

"Okay, Maurice. You can say what you need to." Julien responded. Hearing this, Maurice got on his knees, something he hadn't done for a long time and lowered his head in respect. "Thank you." Maurice said. He looked up at Julien to see that he still looked surprised by this.

"Could you get everyone as well? I want them to hear this." Maurice said. Julien nodded and headed off to get the rest. Maurice smiled; he felt so happy that Julien was giving him a chance. And that meant he could fix the damage that he had caused.


	10. Truth, Forgiveness and Revealed Feelings

**Two Different Animals, One Close Bond**

**Chapter 10: Truth, Forgiveness and Revealed Feelings**

Maurice looked around at all the animals that had gathered, and Julien was at the front to listen to what Maurice had to say. "So Maurice, how are you behind all this?" Julien asked. Maurice sighed; this was going to be hard, but he knew he had to let it out.

"Well, you know how you heard what was said to you before all this started?" Maurice asked. Julien nodded; he loved when he heard that. "That was actually me." Maurice said. Julien was alarmed when he heard this; he couldn't understand why Maurice would go that low.

"Maurice, how could you do something as unforgiving as impersonating the Sky Spirits themselves?" Julien asked, shocked by what he just heard. Maurice could see that Julien was taking this hard, but he had to hear everything else out before saying anything.

"Well, this all started as a ploy to help Julien get closer to Marlene. I wanted to spend time with Marlene so I could get to know her better and use the knowledge I had to help Julien get closer to Marlene." Maurice explained. Everyone gasped, especially Marlene. She was alarmed by this getting out.

"So, Maurice... you really did this? So you don't feel this way about me?" Marlene asked. She could barely believe that she was being betrayed by someone she loved once again. Maurice could see her sadness, so he looked over at her. "Marlene, you have to hear everything before saying anything." Maurice said. Marlene nodded and let Maurice talk. He looked back at everyone so he could continue.

"I planned to do this at first, but then as I started spending time with Marlene, I started to have feelings that... I have never experienced before. I felt like I would do anything for Marlene to make her happy, because it made me happy as well. Then I came to realize that... I loved Marlene. She is unlike anyone I have ever met before. She is amazing, and would do anything to help the ones she cares for. And I don't care what anyone thinks. No matter what you can do to keep us apart, my love for Marlene will never end. Can any of you honestly say you haven't been in my place; where you found love with someone, but you had others who wouldn't allow your love if they found out?" Maurice asked.

That seemed to do the job, as everyone had tears in their eyes and they started to cry, moved by what Maurice had just said. Marlene came over to Maurice, and he looked back at her and smiled. "Maurice... that was incredible. I have never met anyone who has ever said anything as amazing as that, let alone meant it. You will always mean a lot to me, even if we can't see each other." Marlene explained. Maurice smiled, knowing that Marlene understood what he was saying.

But then, Maurice looked over at Julien to see that he had tears in his eyes, but he was smiling. "Maurice..." Julien gasped, unable to comprehend what Maurice had just said. Noticing this, Maurice came over to Julien. "I know. I'm sorry it ended up like this; I hope you understand." Maurice explained. Julien however had something he needed to say now.

"Maurice, I have never heard you say something like that before. It's just... amazing; to me, it sounded like the Sky Spirits were speaking through you. And to think I was never able to see it. They've always had plans for you, but I could never understand that, until now." Julien explained. "What are you saying?" Maurice asked, confused by where Julien was going with this.

"Who am I to interfere with what the Sky Spirits want? Maurice, you and Marlene shouldn't be separated." Julien said. Maurice was surprised. "So that means... we can be with each other?" he asked, amazed.

"Yes, it does." Julien responded. Overjoyed, Marlene immediately ran over and hugged Maurice. "Maurice, this is amazing! I can hardly believe this." Marlene smiled. Smiling, Maurice looked over at Marlene.

"You know, Marlene, I was never able to understand how simple things could change things for the better. But I guess I realized this when I decided to be with you, because I realized that it made both of us happy. Marlene, I want to tell you that... I love you." Maurice explained.

"I love you too, Maurice." Marlene responded. With this, the two smiled and kissed while everyone cheered, now happy for them. Julien was the most happy, as he was now able to see that this was meant to happen. "I have never seen Maurice so happy before." Julien said to himself. He looked straight up, knowing how this was possible.

"Thank you, Sky Spirits. Thank you for helping me see what you wanted. I was so wrong to try and change what you planned, but now I can see how this has made someone else happy. I am so grateful to you, and I promise not to ignore your will again." Julien smiled. He looked back at Maurice and Marlene; it was clear that they were happy with each other now, and it seemed they were now going to be together forever.


End file.
